Allahabad HC denies alimony to divorced working woman

Lucknow: A lower court order directing payment of alimony to a divorced woman under the Domestic Violence Act has been set aside by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on grounds that she was a working woman. The high court on Wednesday ruled that a working woman is not entitled to alimony under the Act and directed the lower court to reconsider its decision.

The single bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Saxena gave this decision on a criminal revision petition filed by the husband. The petitioner informed the court that his wife has eight bank accounts and she earns well and hence sought quashing of a September 2015 order of a lower court directing him to pay Rs 5,000 per month to his divorced wife. Petitioner Shivpal Singh, who is a lawyer, also pointed out that he was already paying alimony to his wife and hence any additional financial burden on him under the new Act was unwarranted. –IANS